"We want to tell the community and the
world that Scotland County is a great place
to live, work and play," English said. "This is
a great spot to grow a business, raise a family,
live out retirement, shop and attend festivals
and events."
Many others feel the same way. Posing the
question of "what is the one thing that makes
Scotland County to a wide variety of people
attracted the following responses:
• Gary Gallman, WLNC — The sense
of community in Scotland County. The
majority of the people I have encountered
since moving here have been friendly,
welcoming and ready to help each other
out whenever a need arises. Having lived
in a number of communities, I can say
that this trait is not found everywhere.
• Barbara Mack, Scottish Pilot Club — It
is the people! The county has experienced
high and low times, but the people are
forever upbeat and friendly.
• Bear Hughes, Optimist Club — The one
thing that makes this place special is the
generosity of the people who care about
this community and the people in it. They
give their time in volunteer service, they
give their money in generous support, and
especially in a time of personal need or
tragedy they give their love and minister
to the one(s) in need beyond measure
with acts of support and kindness.
• Beacham McDougald, local historian
— Location — we can make day trips
anywhere from above Wilmington on the
coast to below Myrtle Beach and return
home before nightfall. Ditto for Raleigh,
Durham, Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem,
Greensboro, High Point, Charlotte,
Columbia (South Carolina) and many
places in between. Also, the fall, winter
and spring are perfect for exploring in
our nearby forests and watching wildlife,
summer is perfect for many kayak trips
down the Lumbee River. Finally, as a
part of the Scotland County Tourism
Development Authority, our executive
director has uncovered numerous "points
of light" that could lead to a more vibrant
and active Scotland County.
• Malcolm C. Doubles, Scotia Village
— Laurinburg and Scotland County
is blessed to have been led for many
decades by well-informed, high-minded
and well-intentioned citizens and public
servants. This leadership has provided
strong support for public education (and)
led to the recruitment and establishment
of a new college (St. Andrews) almost
70 years ago, and during the days of
racial segregation the support of a
private college-preparatory school for
black students (Laurinburg Institute);
48 • PROGRESS 2020
economically, this leadership led to the
establishment of a remarkably diverse
business and industrial environment
that stretched from cotton mills to
pharmaceutical laboratories to sports
equipment manufacturers to glass plants;
furthermore, the support given to public
media has helped maintain this level
of leadership. It is remarkable that a
community as small as this can enjoy
(or not, as the case may be!) a five-days-
a-week newspaper (The Laurinburg
Exchange), as well as a locally operated
radio station with local reportage and
coverage (WLNC). That Laurinburg and
Scotland County is demonstrably a good
place to live makes them special.
• Jenny Tippett, city clerk — The people
of Scotland County make it special. They
are friendly; generous of their time, talents
and money; and have varied backgrounds
and experiences.
• Bryan Graham, executive director of
Scotland County Parks & Rec — Being
a Robeson County native, and not being
in Scotland County all of my life, the
most evident thing that makes Scotland
County special is seeing 99% of leaders
in Scotland County on the same page
to better this area. Witnessing so many
organizations and entities unite to provide
opportunities for citizens is remarkable.
With Scotland County being relatively
smaller in population, leaders tend to
deal with one another on a more personal
level. I'd like to see citizens become more
proactive in producing positive results.
We tend to focus on what's wrong and the
negativity around us rather than all of the
good things that are heading in the right
direction.
• Ron Hargrave, superintendent of
Scotland County Schools — I believe
the strength of our community, and really
any community, is its children and young
people. President John F. Kennedy was
quoted as saying, "Children are the world's
most valuable resource and its best hope
for the future." We are fortunate to work
with almost 6,000 of Scotland County's
"best and brightest" students in our public
school system each and every day. Their
talent is unlimited, their resilience is
strong, and their courage and bravery are
unmatched. That is why I believe now
more than ever, the present and future of
Scotland County shines bright.
• Mark Schenck, Scotland County
GOP — It's the people. I often wondered
what made the majority of Scotland
County residents act so neighborly to
folks they didn't know. Could it be the
presence of St. Andrews University with
its blending of national and international
students interacting in the local
community? Or could it be the influence
of Scotland County's 44 churches that
emphasize "brotherly love" and "love thy
neighbor?" It's always possible that old
clichè, "southern hospitality," may have
actually originated in a small neighborly
communities such as Scotland County.